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Halo Custom Edition Article

Texrat's Map List - General Tips & Strategies

These will sound like common sense to most, but you’d be surprised how rarely I see these tactics utilized!

Always swap your vehicles for the enemy’s when you can. Keep his and let yours spawn back to base. If you do this consistently and successfully, make sure you send your vehicles to the enemy base on attack runs and keep his at your own, always in use to prevent loss through spawning. This is a winning strategy.

The rocket hog makes a very effective enemy disruptor in the hands of a capable driver/gunner duo. Just keep it away from obstacles so that clearance doesn’t become an issue, and stick to higher ground as much as possible for better shots. Drivers need to keep count of rocket shots and gunner health; gunners need to periodically sweep the landscape for targets, especially taking note of the driver’s changes in direction and enemy fire. Use the rocket hog to pound enemy positions, especially the base, while another squad goes for flag. Watch out for friendly fire, and keep your gunner alive! Hint: fire off two triangulating shots at highly-mobile players, pinning them between destination points. You increase your odds of taking them out, especially if lag is a factor. ALWAYS reload any chance you get (R button).

The most preventable cause of CTF match losses I’ve seen is failure to adequately respond to flag thefts. Don’t cluster your team; disperse them into strategic positions and constantly adjust as teammates die/respawn. Take advantage of your players’ strengths. And most importantly, alter your behavior immediately upon hearing the flag is taken. Don’t waste time on kills that don’t contribute toward flag recapture. Note that stopping the flag thief is no sure bet that you’ve prevented the capture; flags can take huge bounces favorable to the enemy, especially when rocket launcher or fuel rod guns are used. Keep the kinetic energy and vectors in mind and try to stop flag-bearing vehicles at angles that drive the flag away from the enemy base or teleports. I’ve seen flags blasted at a map’s midway point and bounce all the way to the enemy base! Also note that teams who win CTF are usually the more aggressive of the two, spending much more time on offense than defense.

A successful flag capture almost always depends on effective team support. When team members hear that one of their own has the enemy flag, they should immediately alter their gameplay accordingly. Players who can get there the quickest should provide cover; others need to keep their own base secure. Always keep in mind that every field enemy you kill will spawn back at their base, adding another person to stop your team’s flag theft if the thief is still at or near the enemy base. Sometimes it’s best to just keep them occupied, providing a distraction that allows your teammate to sneak by.

Conventional wisdom has it that tanks should NEVER leave base. While this is a good rule of thumb, it is NOT an absolute. A well-knit team can effectively advance a tank toward enemy base, to serve as a flag-theft deterrent or mass slaying machine, without worrying too much about losing it. A pair of tanks in this situation are nearly unstoppable so long as supporting teammates are nearby to take over in case a tank driver dies. Even if they aren’t immediately available, a good tank driver can keep enemies at bay until reinforcements arrive. Tanks are not that hard to capture for skillful, determined players, and if a teammate nabs the enemy’s tank, have him bring it to your own base for defense and send yours out against the enemy.